Rep. John Ratcliffe on Democrats' impeachment inquiry: You can't have a quid pro quo with no quo
No impeachment witness has provided testimony that the Ukrainians were aware that U.S. aid was being withheld, says Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe, Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee.
Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, told "The Story with Martha MacCallum" that Democrats' allegation that President Trump pushed Ukraine to investigate both election interference and a company linked to Joe Biden's son is a “frame job."
Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor testified on Tuesday -- and in his opening remarks to House lawmakers, obtained by Fox News -- voiced his apparent frustration that his personal policy preference for providing strong military support to Ukraine was being undercut at points by the Trump administration.
“I read that testimony… and there were things that provided greater detail,” Ratcliffe noted, but nothing worthy of impeachment.
READ TAYLOR'S FULL OPENING STATEMENT
No impeachment witness has provided testimony that the Ukrainians were aware that U.S. aid was being withheld, he said.
“Neither this witness or any other witness has provided any evidence” of Trump's alleged attempt to hold back military aid to Ukraine, he continued.
The White House, meanwhile, fired back Tuesday over Taylor's testimony: "President Trump has done nothing wrong -- this is a coordinated smear campaign from far-left lawmakers and radical unelected bureaucrats waging war on the Constitution. There was no quid pro quo," White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.
Ratcliffe noted that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., refuses to bring direct testimony over the revelation that his office had contact with the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower.
Ratcliffe noted: “He won’t bring those witnesses forward.”
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He said House Democrats change the rules every day. “It changes every day because they haven’t made up their minds,” he said about House Democrats. “This is an abuse of power… It should be conducted in the open.”